I Always Dream of You, part 2
by AngeloftheMorning1978
Summary: Fan fic! Stop acting so crazy and let me update my chapters! I have had to split a story again and I'm just lucky my readers and followers as so freakign cool to put up with this!
1. Chapter 1

5.

~ "Thank you for driving me home." Ariadne said as Arthur helped her walk up the flight of stairs to reach her apartment. "I'm not keeping you from anything, am I?" she asked as he carried her bag and she held onto the teddy bear he had brought her in her good arm.

Her wounded shoulder requiring a sling that was latched firmly to her body to keep her from tearing the wound.

"Not to worry." Arthur said happily as he reached the floor first and unlocked her front door.

"How's Mr. Eames?" she asked as she walked in and saw the flowers the company had sent as a get well soon gift.

"Oh, my!" she laughed as the horrible cat meowed angrily up at her.

"HR is all in an uproar over what happened." Arthur explained as he put her bag down.

"Arthur, I'm not going to sue anyone." Ariadne sighed. "I'm just happy to have my hospital bill paid. It would have really been awful if I had to pay for all of that."

"Well, don't worry. You'll also receive a paycheck for the days you miss. I think corporate even gave you a spending account at Sax to get a new dress." he told her.

"Like I would shop there." she laughed as slunk down on her twin bed.

"Can I get you some tea?" he asked as he went to her kitchen and looked at the massive collection of tea boxes that were displayed on her stove shelf.

"Zen Passion?" Arthur questioned as Ariadne gave Mr. Eames some much needed affection.

"Oh, yeah, I was feeling really daring when I bought that at this fancy gourmet store." Ariadne told him.

"How is it?" he questioned as he looked over her other tea.

"Turns out I'm not that daring." she told him.

He put a kettle on to boil and helped her take off her shoes so she could go to bed.

"These pain pills really make me sleepy." she admitted sadly.

"It's okay to go to sleep." he told her as he pushed the cat off her bed.

"Thank you so much for being there for me." she told him.

"I wanted to be there." he admitted.

There was an awkward silence as they looked at each other.

"What does your wife think about you being here with me? Taking care of me instead of her?" Ariadne asked as the kettle started to whistle.

"My wife." Arthur said with a laugh as he stood and went to pour the hot water in a cup. "My wife is out shopping, or drinking or making herself throw up. I doubt she even knows I was gone."

He instantly regretted saying it, as Ariadne looked away from him.

"I'm sorry." he sighed. "It's not right for me to unload all my problems onto you." he told her.

"Are you really going to leave her?" Ariadne asked as he gave her the cup of tea on a tray with some honey.

"Yes. My lawyer, Mr. McClain is doing the paper work right now. I'll be broke, but I'll be free." he told her as he sat on the edge of her bed.

"So, I still have my job?" she asked. "With the design team?"

"Of course." Arthur told her. "I insisted on it."

"Good." she said and sipped her tea politely.

"Ariadne, if you don't want to see me socially-" he said feeling a little foolish. She clearly was only concerned about her job.

"I was asking for you." she interrupted.

"What?"

"After the accident. I was crying for you when I thought I was going to die. I haven't felt close to anyone since my grandparents died; I don't really let people in. But I wanted you there with me. I was scared and I knew if you were there, I would be okay." she said sadly.

She looked up at him with her big eyes, fresh tears brimming there.

"Then you were there, and you were with me when I woke up, and I was okay." she said with a shrug which made her wince.

Arthur sucked in his breath.

"I think you're beautiful. I thought so the first time I saw you." he whispered as his hand finally went to her face and he felt the smoothness of her skin.

"I wanted you the moment you stepped on that elevator." he told her.

"I felt that to." she whispered as he was kissing her.

He could kiss her forever. He didn't need food or water or sleep. He could live without those things so long as his lips could meets hers, forever.

"Arthur," she said breathlessly and pushed him away.

He composed himself.

"Arthur, we-" she panted as he saw her checks blush pink.

"It's alright." he told her.

"No, it's..." she shook her head. "You're still married."

"I'm going to divorce her." he told her.

She looked at him with a perfect '_where have I heard that before?_' look.

"I am. I'm going to move out." he professed.

"We can't be together till you do." she told him. "I won't be the other woman."

Arthur nodded.

"It may take time for the divorce to be final." he said.

"We have time then." she whispered.

"Ariadne, you need to know that you make me feel so happy." he said and kissed her chastely on the forehead. "All this time, I never thought I would be happy again. Then you stepped onto that elevator and it was like I was another person. I was... I was stronger, better than what I was. I suddenly wasn't afraid of anything. I want to be the man you're making me."

Ariadne smiled and rolled her eyes.

"Arthur, I can't make you into anything you don't want to be. No woman can." she said.

"Becky made me into this sad little man who had lost his will to live. She made me hate myself and my life. You make me feel like I'm capable. Like I can do anything." he told her.

She let out a long sigh.

"I think I need to get some sleep." she said at last.

"Alright. I'll let you go." he said and stood up.

He caught her smiling out of the corner of his eye.

"For now." he said and left her giggling.

~ "Just make sure she's not planning a lawsuit." John growled at his son.

Arthur rolled his eyes and couldn't escape the feeling that he was still a child in his father's eyes.

"She's not." he insisted. "She's just grateful we're paying her medical bills and paying her for the time off."

John grumbled a little.

"The surveillance tapes show the work men were careless, she could take us for everything we have." he said bitterly.

"I talked to her, she won't sue." Arthur told him assuredly.

John looked at his son as Arthur waited to be dismissed.

"So McClain tells me you've had the paper work drawn up to divorce Becky." he said at last. "That you're even going to rent an apartment and move out in a few weeks."

"Yes." Arthur told him.

"Have you told your wife this?"

"I hardly see her. She stays out late, and I've been working late every night." Arthur told him.

"A bit early in the divorce to have found another woman to spend time with." John growled.

"Another woman?"

"Office gossip." John snarled. "I've heard you've been visiting this Ariadne girl every day since the accident. That you even took her out to lunch before she got hurt.

"I'm just being a nice guy." Arthur said.

"You know Becky's lawyers can use that against you." John said. "Infidelity is not the same as it was in my day. Back when I was your age, I have my office romances, went home to your mother, and it wasn't anyone's business, not even hers."

Arthur winced. He didn't like the admission his father was never faithful to his mother.

"It's fine." he said coldly.

"I just don't want this to break you." John said.

"You don't mean to sound like you care about me." Arthur laughed.

"I care about not having you come to me for a bail out." John spat. "Don't let Becky take everything."

~ "I'm just saying that we have these amazing smart phones, capable of accessing all the information mankind has ever accumulated, and we use them to look at funny pictures of cats who want's to 'haz chezburger'." Arthur said as he feasted on take out Chinese food in his bed.

"Hey! I happen to love LOL Catz!" Ariadne laughed from her side of the conversation.

It was two weeks later and Arthur's life had gotten better. Becky was out with friends for the night, and he had taken up permanent residence in the guest room.

Ariadne was his friend and they spoke every night over the phone. She refused to be anything more until the divorce was official, which Arthur accepted.

They had lunch together every afternoon in her tiny apartment. It was what Arthur looked forward to the most out of each day.

When he got off work, he would call her and they would talk all night like a pair of teenagers. Something was so intimate about talking in bed with her all night.

"So what are your plans for tomorrow?" Arthur asked as he laid down in the bed and wished he wasn't alone.

"Oh, Mr. Eames and I are going to spend the day in bed together." Ariadne teased and he laughed as he his revelry was broken by the sounds of Becky coming home.

Laying in bed, Ariadne's voice so close to him. Knowing she was likewise in her bed, filled Arthur with a rush of euphoria that was spoiled by his soon to be ex-wife returning home.

"Arthur?" Becky called.

"I have to go." Arthur whispered to Ariadne.

"Alright." she said back.

"I'll call you later." he promised.

He had to admit, Ariadne was being very generous about this situation. It wasn't easy for her when Arthur had to suddenly hang up and act normal around Becky. His wife still not knowing he had filed for divorce.

"Arthur!" Becky called out as she laid large shopping bags on the table.

"Out for a bit of shopping I see." Arthur said moodily.

"Yes." Becky said with a happy smile. "You'll never guess."

"They had a sample sale." Arthur offered as he wondered what the credit card bill for all this would be.

"No, silly." Becky cooed and smiled at him.

Arthur didn't know what she was hinting at. They were living like roommates lately and he didn't want to venture a guess as to what was happening with her.

"I was shopping, but none of it was for me." she told him.

"Becky, I don't need anything." Arthur told her.

"Not for you either." she laughed as she pulled out a delicately wrapped box and unfolded a tiny baby jumper.

"Arthur, we're pregnant." she said happily.

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	2. Chapter 2

6.

~ Arthur was too stunned to speak. Too much in shock to do anything but stare at his wife.

She had to be joking. This had to be some kind of ill convinced trick.

"You're kidding, right?" he said in disgust as he now recognized all the things she had bought were from expensive baby boutiques in the city. "Please tell me you're kidding."

Becky mirrored his disgusted look.

"You're not happy? We've been trying for years and you're not happy?" she accused sharply.

"Becky, we haven't been together in a month." Arthur said as he felt dizzy. This was a nightmare. A horrible bad dream.

'_Wake me up. Wake me up. Cobb! Wake me up!_' came an irrational thought in his head.

He slowed his breathing and took long, deep breaths.

'_Cobb? Dom Cobb? Why would I think about him? I haven't seen him or Mal in years._' he realized. '_Why would I be screaming for him to wake me up? Oh God, this is a nightmare, Oh no, Ariadne._' he thought as Becky waited for him to come back to himself.

"Arthur, you could show a little bit more happiness." she barked.

"Are you sure? I mean, are you _really_ sure?" he asked.

"I went to my doctor today." Becky said proudly. "Look at these little jumpers I got at the baby gap. So cute!" she cried.

"Becky, we can't have a baby." Arthur told her suddenly.

"What?"

"You know we can't have a child. Not you and me, not ever." he told her bravely.

"Arthur, what are you talking about?" Becky said with a tiger like snarl.

"I mean, the drinking, the eating disorder... everything else." Arthur breathed as he felt his head spin.

"I told you, I'm not going to drink while I'm pregnant. I didn't even know I was pregnant until today." she said.

"How far along are you?" he asked.

"A little over a month." she said.

"Good, that's plenty of time for us to deal with this." Arthur said.

"Deal with what?" she in an accusing way.

"We have to terminate the pregnancy. I'll schedule an appointment, and-"

She slapped him hard on the face, cutting off his sentence.

"How dare you." she said bitterly. "You wanted a child."

"I did, but not anymore." he told her holding his wounded cheek and fighting the urge to slap her back. "Becky, you know you're putting the baby in danger with the purging and the drinking. You're too thin, you're anemic and the weight gain from the pregnancy will make it worse."

"No, our baby will be fine!" Becky insisted.

"No, it won't!" Arthur shouted. "I don't want to be a father! I want a divorce! I want to divorce you and be free of you! You did this on purpose to make me stay with you!"

Becky took a step back and glared at Arthur.

"You better get used to the idea of being a daddy, Arthur. Because you're going to be one. You can leave me if you want, but you're stuck with our child forever." she hissed.

Arthur fought back the urge to vomit as he watched her take her shopping bags into her bedroom and slam the door.

~ "Three years of trying and nothing. Now, when I don't want a child, she magically turns up pregnant." Arthur said hotly to his lawyer.

McClain sighed.

"Are you sure it's yours?" he asked. "Could she have cheated on you?"

"Maybe. Hopefully." Arthur said.

"We have to delay the divorce proceedings for at least 8 months." his lawyer sighed.

"What? You said it would be done in two!" Arthur shouted. "I would just have to give her half my retirement and a living allowance."

"That was before." McClain said. "You can not finalize a divorce until paternity is confirmed. You are married to the woman, and the courts will not grant a contested divorce with a spouse who is pregnant. After she has the baby, if it's not yours you're home free. If it is yours, well, we will deal with that when the time comes."

"It can't be mine." Arthur said. "I can't wait eight months to be out of this life with Becky."

"Have you moved out yet?" McClain asked.

"Yes, a few days after she told me." Arthur sighed and stopped his pacing to sit down.

"That's good." McClain said. "Until we establish paternity, you have to act like a happy father to be. We want to be able to gain custody of the child and prove Becky is unfit."

"If it's mine." Arthur corrected.

"True."

"Even if it is mine, I want to pay child support and never see either of them." Arthur said angrily.

"Arthur, don't think like that. Don't punish the child." McClain offered.

"I want a new life, I've already met someone I want to spend the rest of my life with." Arthur said.

~ Ariadne had returned to work the day after Arthur found out about Becky's shocking news.

She had seemed to be ducking all his calls and not responding to his text messages.

Her work in the design programs meant he almost never saw her these days in the building.

"He sat at his desk, the sound of her ring tone going off three times, then going to voice mail. Which could only mean she had her phone on, saw it was him, and ignored his call.

He was done leaving voice mails, he had to see her.

As CFO, he had no real reason to go to the design part of the building, but he was the bosses son and no one thought twice about it as he stormed into the project room to see Ariadne was alone.

"Why haven't you been answering my calls?" he demanded as she looked up at him in surprise.

"I've been working." she said once she had recovered form the shock of seeing him.

"You've been ignoring me." he clarified.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore." she said.

Her arm was still in the sling, yet she looked as beautiful as always.

"Why not?" he asked. Already knowing the answer.

"Because the day I got back, I had to hear the oh so exciting news that you and the wife you told me you were leaving were going to have a baby." she cried.

Arthur was aware that the work shop door was open, and he was quick to close it so no one could hear.

"I didn't know until a few days ago, I swear." he told her in a hushed voice.

"Yeah, right." she laughed.

"It's true." he insisted.

"I don't believe I feel for the whole 'I'm leaving my wife' line." she said miserably.

"I _am_ leaving her. I've already moved out." he told her.

"No, you won't leave her. You won't divorce her. It will never be the right time. You'll stay because she needs you through the pregnancy, and then when the baby is born, she needs you then. You can't leave her during the holidays and then the little one starts calling you daddy and you want to make it work for the kids sake." Ariadne ranted and tried not to cry.

"I told you, as soon as the baby is born, the divorce will be final. The court won't let me divorce my pregnant wife until paternity is established." he insisted.

"Yeah right!" Ariadne shouted.

They stood glaring at each other.

"Just go home to your wife, Arthur." she said at last. "Go home and decorate the nursery with her and never text or call me again. Thank God I never slept with you."


	3. Chapter 3

7.

~ Arthur felt his whole life was crumbling around him as he entered the apartment he had once shared with Becky. He had moved out, but had left some things in the master bedroom.

He had hoped to find Becky gone for the day, but she was home; cleaning for once.

"What are you doing here?" she barked at him.

"Just getting a few things." Arthur said numbly.

"I got the divorce papers today. Way to be a man, not even telling your wife. Just lest some delivery guy serve her papers." she huffed as she was packing dishes into boxes.

"I did tell you, Becky." Arthur sighed.

"You told me." Becky laughed.

"Becky, things haven't been right with us in a long time." Arthur said.

"So that's why you're going to divorce me? After everything we've been through together? You're in some kind of depression, and you want to throw me away? Throw our child away?" she said as she sealed up the box.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Packing."

"You're moving out?" he asked.

"I can't afford to live here on my own and with a baby to raise." she told him.

Arthur shook his head. He recognized one of Becky's guilt trips coming on.

"And just for the record, I wasn't purging. I was having morning sickness every day for the past week." she informed him curtly as she started packing another box.

"Becky, I don't want this baby." Arthur said.

"You did. A few months ago, you wanted a baby. What's changed?" she cried.

"Everything!" Arthur shouted.

Becky glared at him.

"So, because I couldn't conceive right away, you're leaving me? I don't suppose there's already someone else." she said.

"Don't start. It's the shopping, it's the drinking." he listed.

"I never had a drinking problem until we couldn't get pregnant and you started to push me away. I took up shopping because you stopped loving me. When we make love, you don't even look at me!" She suddenly shouted.

Arthur looked at his wife now. Looked at her thin body and her worried face. He had been so consumed with Becky's faults, the fact that she was no longer the girl he used to know, he had failed to see her anymore. Failed to see the girl with a crooked smile who used to throw her shoes at him when they were children.

"Becky, let's face it. We don't love each other anymore." Arthur sighed.

"I do. I still love you." she sobbed quietly. "Who knows why with how you treat me sometimes."

She sniffed and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'll never be good enough for you will I?" she said with a shaky voice. "I'll never be the society wife you need. I'll never be anything more than this obligation to you. I'll sign what ever you want me to sign. I just want full custody of the baby. It will be the one good thing we had together."

"Becky." Arthur said sadly.

"I won't get an abortion. I know you wish you could sign off your legal rights, and so do I, but I won't kill my child. It's all I've wanted for years now. Even if you don't want me anymore." she said and started packing more boxes.

~ Arthur looked over the closet he shared with Becky and found his other suits and a few personal items he had forgotten. Becky was deep in the throws of packing everything. Their whole lives were being shut away in boxes, packed in haste, taped shut and would be forgotten about. Quite possibly they would never to see the light of day again.

He tried to shake off the feeling that he had wronged Becky. He didn't love her anymore, not like he used to. He didn't burn for her with the inextinguishable passion he had for... his mind went to Ariadne. He had never bedded her, but somehow, he felt they had been intimate.

Somehow, his body always ached for Ariadne. For a life with her in... why was his mind racing to Paris? Would they have lived in Paris? Lived in Paris with two boys, a baby and a girl... a girl with curly blond hair.

He felt his mind shift and his vision blur. What was happening? Something wasn't right. A closet, a large closet just like this one, but Becky's clothing wasn't here. Tasteful clothing was hung neatly on the racks and a large cabinet that held jewelry. Ariadne, Ariadne was in this closet, wearing one of his dress shirt. A teasing 'come and get me' look on her face as he knew shad had nothing on underneath.

He shook his head and tried to regain control of his thoughts as he went to the living room.

"I can't find my socks." he told his wife as she was packing cutlery.

"Check the dryer." she said helpfully.

Arthur didn't move. He didn't want to check the dryer. Didn't want to leave his wife.

"Becky, I'm sorry." he said softly.

"I'm sorry to." she said bitterly.

"No, I'm sorry." he clarified. "For everything. For giving up on us, for abandoning you when you needed me. For trying to make you get an abortion, I'm sorry."

She turned and looked at him.

"I don't want you to move. I'll move back and we can try to make this work." he told her. "We'll go to marriage counseling, and if it doesn't help, then we can deal with this like adults. We owe it to each other to try and make it work."

"I don't want you back." she told him. "I needed you and you treated me like I was a burden."

She went back to her packing.

"Becky, stop packing." Arthur ordered. His tone strong as his hands stopped her from wrapping bubble wrap around a picture frame of their wedding day.

"Don't touch me, Arthur!" she shouted and threw the frame to the floor, tears brimming her eyes.

"Becky, I'm sorry. I don't want a divorce. We can work this out, I promise." he pleaded as she stared to weep.

"It's the hormones." she cried as he tired to shush her. "I'm still mad at you!"

"I'm sorry."

"I don't care if you leave us!" she cried into his shoulder.

"I'm not leaving." he assured her, and meant it.


	4. Chapter 4

8.

~ Arthur hated therapy.

The therapist acted like he was out to punish Arthur for being a bad husband. But things with Becky seemed to get better. It was like a wound that had to hurt before it could heal.

Arthur never knew how out of place Becky felt among all the wives of Arthur's business contacts. How rejected she had felt when she couldn't find a career after college. How angry she was at him for his long hours at work, for the fact he never stood up to his father or took her side.

Arthur never said much at these meetings. Only sat there in shock as the counselor talked Becky through her anger and answered with an 'I don't know' when asked anything.

"That went well." Arthur sighed as they were back home.

"You were just sitting there." Becky said as she set a bag of fresh vegetables on the counter. "You're paying a lot of money to watch me pour my heart out, and you're just sitting there."

"I'm doing this to make _you_ better." Arthur told her curtly as he stripped off his tie.

"What makes you think all our problems are _my_ fault?" Becky snapped at him.

"I don't want to fight." Arthur said and threw up his hands. "We agreed we would make this work and fighting won't fix anything."

"Neither will ignoring it." Becky told him as she cooked dinner.

~ Things improved only in that they were polite to each other. Arthur had moved back in and they even slept in the same bed a few times. But the trust they had shared was long gone. Replaced with a wall of things they never said to each other.

~ He never saw Ariadne anymore. He fought the urge to call or text her. He felt like he was going through withdrawal from her. She had filled him with a happiness he had never felt before. Not even when things were good with Becky.

He sighed and looked at his wife sleeping.

It suddenly dawned on him that he had been unfair to her. That Becky had been hurting and his response was to fall in love with another woman.

It also wasn't fair to Ariadne. How long before the magic would die with them and he would move on to yet another woman? He owed Ariadne an apology. He may not be happy with Becky, but he owed it to her to try and stay.

~ It had been almost a month since he had seen Ariadne. A hellish month of walking on egg shells around Becky at home and avoiding Ariadne at work.

Then one day, after he and Becky had been too polite for days now, Arthur realized he couldn't take it anymore. He didn't want to go home to her, didn't want to live with her. Didn't want to be made to feel guilty for being a bad husband who didn't provide his wife with the shelter of love and protection she needed.

He wanted Ariadne. He wanted the good feelings she gave him and he wanted them now.

He found her in the copy room. Her back to him and the deign team in the work shop. She hadn't noticed he had come in and closed the door behind him.

She almost dropped the stack of papers when she saw him.

"Couldn't they have the receptionist do that?" he said with a forced laugh.

"Arthur, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"I needed to talk to you." he said. "I've missed you."

"I have to get back to work."

"Ariadne, listen." Arthur stood in her way.

"We don't have anything to say to each other." she told him.

He looked over her. His eyes drinking in the sight of her as if he had gone without water for days.

"The sling is off, I see." he said lamely noticing she was able to use both her hands.

"Yes." she told him stiffly and clutched the stack of papers closer to her body.

"I moved back in with Becky. We're trying to make it work. Marriage counseling and all that." he told her with a whisper.

"Good." she said back. Her voice sincere.

"It's not working. It won't work." he said.

"Arthur."

"Look, I've been apologizing a lot." he sighed. "And I owe you one to. I feel like I used you. I saw you as my chance for escape and I jumped at it. I never intended for you to get hurt in anyway. It was the last thing I wanted. I know I'm just a selfish person. It's just, I've never felt this way about anyone before. I saw you and it was like I woke up from a dream. Like I had been sleeping my whole life and you woke me up into the real world."

"Very poetic." she said and looked at her shoes.

He huffed out a laugh.

"Well, I came to make my apologies. I've made them." he said at last.

He turned away from her. Grateful that he had at least made amends.

He was about to open the door to leave when her voice called out to him.

"Arthur?"

The door was slightly ajar as he looked back.

"I'm sorry for what I said before. I've really missed you and it hurt me to think you lied to me." she said.

"I did leave her." Arthur told her breathlessly. "I left her and then, I felt terrible for it. I felt like it was my fault she's like this. Maybe it is. I'm a bad husband, I know that. I didn't try and make it work with Becky, I was just waiting for everything to fail."

Ariadne looked saddened as he tried to explain.

"I don't want to fail you, Ariadne." he said at last. "You deserve better than me."

He turned to go when her voice called back to him.

"Arthur?" she said. Her voice soft and pleading. "Don't go."


	5. Chapter 5

9.

~ If heaven went by another name, it would surely be called Ariadne.

Arthur relaxed as her lips trailed up his bare chest. They had thoroughly exhausted one another that evening. Their union starting in the copy room in a hurried race to join body parts. A crude, yet effective release of tension that resulted in Ariadne forced against the wall, her legs wrapped around his waist for balance, and both of them hoping no one would walk in as they tried to stay quite.

An hour later, they each made some lame excuse to depart for the day. Ariadne meeting Arthur in the parking garage and him racing her home where they barely made it to the bed before he had to have her again.

His suit proving to be cumbersome and too much to take off as he envied her slip off shift dress that melted off her skin at his touch.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted this." Arthur breathed and she giggled.

"I bet I can guess." she told him and laid her head on his chest. Her dark hair smelling of nice shampoo and whatever else women used to make them smell so wonderful.

"I didn't think you would let me." he admitted as he laced his hands through her dark mane. She turned her face up to see him. Her chin resting on his chest as they met each other in the eye.

"Because you're still married." she whispered sadly.

"I'm a bad husband." Arthur told her at last. "I've never taken care of my wife the way I should have. I never made our marriage first and then I wondered why it all went to shit."

"Are you going to try and make it work?" she asked him. Her voice more like a friend than a lover just now.

"I'm trying, for the baby's sake. I think she's trying to. But I think we both know it's over. Therapy isn't working for us. Becky is angry at me for not being a real man." he told her.

"You're a real man." Ariadne insisted.

"No, I'm not."

"Arthur, trust me. You're a man." she said with a secretive smile and blush.

He gave her a smile back.

"I haven't been able to get it up in a long time without the help of a blue pill." he told her. "Thank you."

"You're very welcome." she said and kissed him on the lips.

"But I mean I haven't been a real man when it comes to other things. I let my father trap me in a job I hate. I've never done anything worth while in my life. I've never made my own path. I had the chance to do amazing work once. I turned it down to marry Becky and work for my father. Since then, I've felt dead inside. I've hated my life and it poisoned my marriage." he said.

"So quit your job. You were willing to do it once. Find something that makes you happy." she offered.

"You make me happy." he said as she laid her head back on his chest. Her ear close to his heart.

"Well, you can't do me all day and expect to get paid." she told him.

He found that so funny, he couldn't stop laughing for a long time.

When he finally came down for his laughter, he felt something had changed.

"Why did you finally want to be with me?" he asked.

She let out a long sigh.

"I mean, one day you hate me, the next you're begging me pound you in the copy room." he added.

"That was pretty brutal." Ariadne joked.

"Seriously." he said.

"Seriously?" she repeated.

She moved away form him. Her dark hair covering her bare breasts as she didn't try to hide her exposed flesh. Her lover had seen and tasted all of her anyway.

"I'm transferring to Chicago next week." she said plainly.

"What?"

"I was offered a position in Chicago by your father, a lot more money and I'll be heading up my own design team." she explained.

"My father is sending you away." he realized.

"He's not sending me anywhere." she clarified. "It's an incredible promotion."

"Ariadne, he doesn't want us to be together." Arthur told her.

A cold feeling of panic fell over him.

"What does it matter? You're not leaving your wife. We both wanted at least one romp in the sack, and we had it. At least now all the gossip at work will be true." she said.

Her voice tried to sound indifferent as it broke with a painful, unnamed sadness.

~ Her going away party was a few days later. Ariadne wore a beautiful red dress with perfectly matched lipstick and looked like a glam girl from the 40's, at least in Arthur's mind.

"I hear congratulations are in order. The old man must be pleased." one of their co-workers said as Arthur tried to get Ariadne alone.

"Oh, yes." Arthur fumbled as he watched Ariadne in one corner and Becky in the other. His wife was looking better lately. Her health coming back as she drank water and ate fruit and soda crackers at the party.

She felt her husband's eyes on her and smiled at him.

They still hadn't fought. Their politeness so heavy these days, Arthur could feel it the second he came home.

Becky was talking to the other women from the office and for a moment, he was proud of her. She looked like a corporate wife. She could play the part very well when pressed like she was tonight.

Arthur insisted on going to the party and it would have looked suspicious if he went alone.

He chanced a look at his lover. Ariadne, radiant as always, in her red dress as she ate cake and drank champagne. Her talk of Chicago felt like a knife in his back.

They had been together every night since that day in the copy room. Arthur couldn't get enough of her. His body was never satisfied by her even as he took her on top of his desk, in his car in the parking garage, or at her place after work. Sometimes, they didn't even kiss or talk to each other. Ariadne would show up at his office, both of them knowing why she was there. She barely had time to remove her panties before he had impaled her.

Their hard, furious mating was primal and left Arthur somehow unsatisfied as he always wanted more.

Even now, her last night. His body itched for her.

"How hard would it be to sneak out of here and go to my office?" he whispered as he stood a foot away from his lover. Their backs turned so no one would suspect they were together.

He sensed her smiling as she ate her cake.

"I'm busy." she teased him and made a show of slowly putting the cake in her mouth. Her red lips sucking on the fork with agonizing, steady skill. Arthur realized he was breathing hard as he watched her suck the last of the frosting of the fork and her large eyes glanced at him innocently.

"Bring back good memories?" she teased as the tines of her fork rested on her beautiful lips.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear a word you said." Arthur laughed.

She grinned mischievously at him.

"The copy room?" she asked. "When you begged me-"

"Now I remember." Arthur said happily.

The oh so lovely time they had met again in the copy room. She had pleasured him with her mouth and refused to let him come right away.

It had been torture of the sweetest kind.

He was about to say something when Becky was suddenly in front of them.

He leopard print wrap dress contrasted horribly with Ariadne's classic taste in clothing. It was like Audrey Hepburn meeting Lindsey Lohan.

"Becky." Arthur said feeling startled as the two women exchanged looks.

Ariadne had the good graces to look embarrassed as Becky looked furious.

"Nice lipstick." Becky said to Ariadne. "I think I found that same shade on my husband's boxer shorts last week."

Her voice carried loud and clear as all the talking and chatter in the room abruptly hauled.

"Becky!" Arthur snarled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm here five minutes and I hear about your little office romance with her. " Becky snapped at him.

Her eyes becoming narrow slants as she looked over Ariadne.

To her credit, his lover didn't waver.

"Don't rush to deny it, Arthur." she snarled at him.

"Becky, you're talking crazy." Arthur said and moved away from Ariadne instinctively.

"You know we're going to have a baby? Did he tell you that?" Becky snapped at Ariadne.

"He did. Congratulations." Ariadne said stiffly.

"You don't get to stand there looking so proud while wrecking my family." Becky shouted.

Obviously Ariadne's stoic manners and indifference enraged Becky to the point she could no longer take it.

Before Arthur could stop her, Becky had thrown her water on Ariadne, catching her in the face and humiliating her at her own going away party.

"Becky!" Arthur shouted and found the strength to grab hold of his hell cat of a wife and drag her off before real fight could ensue between the two women.

"You whore!" Becky screamed. "He's staying with me and we're going to be a family!"

~ Becky cried and ranted the whole ride home.

"It's the hormones!" she sobbed as she acted trapped in her seat as Arthur drove. Her skinny legs and arms yearned to break free of the car and run away.

"Hormones?" Arthur barked. "You threw a drink at one of our employees at her own party."

"It's just as soon as I cam in, I heard back handed comments about you and her." Becky cried. Her black mascara running down her face.

"It's nonsense." Arthur grumbled as he avoided looking at her.

"No. No. No it's not." Becky gasped. A full on panic attack was emanate and Arthur wondered if he should take her to the hospital.

"Becky, _enough_." he said.

"It's not nonsense!" Becky shouted. "You've been fucking her! I know it! I found her lipstick all over your clothes! All over your boxer shorts from when she was sucking you off!"

"Becky!"

"You wanted to make our marriage work and you have an office fling?" Becky sobbed. "You never had any intention of making this work. You don't love me, or the baby."

"I'm taking you to the ER." he said and made the turn down a busy street.

"Why? Why was I never good enough for you?" Becky said. Her voice was suddenly somber and controlled.

"I don't know." Arthur admitted as they waited in traffic.

"Why did you cheat on me?" she asked in a whisper.

"She made me happy. You haven't made me happy in a long time. Since before we were married I think." he admitted. The truth finally spilling out of him like a faucet.

"That long." Becky mused.

"I didn't make you happy." Arthur told her.

"No, you didn't." Becky admitted.

They were quite for a long time.

"It's over, isn't it?" she asked at last.

Her temper tantrum over as she ran her thumbs over her ruined mascara. Trying to clean herself up.

"Yes." he admitted.

"What do we do now?" she whispered.

"You mean about the baby?"

"About everything."

"I don't want a child with you. I think we can part as friends, but it would hurt a child to have us at it's parents." Arthur told her.

"I wanted a baby for so long." Becky said. "I wanted us to be a real family."

"We would fail at it. We're failing now." Arthur told her.

They watched the traffic progress slowly.

They said nothing.

"I think it's best to terminate." Becky admitted. "So we can be rid of each other."

"It has to be your decision." Arthur told her. His whole body numb. "I'll pay you child support if you have it. I'll share custody with you. But we're done."

"We were so perfect once." she said and leaned back in her seat.

"I know. I'm sorry." Arthur told her.

"What will you do now?" she asked.

"Quit the company. The old man has had his hooks in me long enough." Arthur told her. He looked at his childhood sweetheart. "What will you do?"

"LA." she told him. "I've a few friends there from school who want me to come work with them."

"That sounds wonderful." he told her.

"Yes it does." she agreed.


	6. Chapter 6

10.

~ Arthur took Becky, at her request, to the family planning clinic to have the pregnancy terminated. They had the standardized three days to think it over, but Becky was sure she didn't want to have a child with him anymore.

It gave Arthur a very odd feeling, sitting in the waiting room as his wife end the pregnancy. He wondered if they were doing the right thing, would a child together be so bad? But the idea of being bonded together forever, by a child who they would only hurt, was not what they wanted anymore.

She was wheeled out of the doctor's office looking pale, and all she wanted to do was sleep.

The days that followed were better.

They had realized things were over, and they could survive it. They could be civil to one another and know that life went on.

Arthur paid the rent on the apartment for three months as she prepared to leave for California.

He moved to Philadelphia a few weeks after the horrible night of Ariadne's going away party and never saw his wife or lover again.

~ He got the divorce papers a few months later, by mail. and signed them happily. He was living in a tiny apartment in Philadelphia and working for a communication company. A rouge upstart that was run by a man Arthur aspired to be like. The CEO was only a few years older than Arthur and they were like brothers as he showed him the ins and outs of their work.

Arthur felt himself start to remember what it was like to be a younger man. A man with ambition and hopefulness. There were not enough hours in the day as his job had him busy and kept his mind learning new things.

Before Arthur knew what had happened, five years had flown by and he only thought about Ariadne a few times a week and Becky none at all.

He got an email from his ex-wife, detailing her life in California. She had re-married to a pro suffer turned plastic surgeon and was working in a law office. They had a new baby girl together named Blue of all things.

Arthur had to smile at the picture she had sent. Becky looked like a hippie with her long blond hair, her rich tan and her still crooked smile. The fat baby in her lap looked hungry as she stuck her tongue out at the camera.

Arthur was glad Becky was so happy. He wanted that for her with all his heart.

One day, his mentor Luke told him he had to go out of town.

"You're needed in our Chicago office." Luke told him

"Why?" Arthur grumbled as he tried to ignore a voice mail from a girl in the office who wanted to go out with him.

"Problems with this asshole who runs the thing." Luke said.

"Wait. Chicago?" Arthur asked.

"Windy city." Luke said with a scowl. "I can always send someone else."

"NO!" Arthur shouted and stood. "No, I'll go."

~ It was easy enough to find Ariadne. She still worked for the design team in Chicago. She had an online social media page which didn't reveal much to people who weren't her friends. She looked happy and healthy as always and Arthur quickly concluded his business with the company and went to her building.

'_I'm just going to say hello. An in and out sort of thing._' he told himself as he walked to the lobby and front desk.

"I'm here to see Ariadne." he told the receptionist.

"I'm sorry, she's very busy this morning." The lady behind the desk told him.

"Tell her it's Arthur, from New York." he said.

A delicious tremble of fear went off in him as he wondered what Ariadne would do. How would she react, to seeing him again?

The lady behind the front desk called a number and spoke quietly to the other end.

"Sir? She'll be down in a moment." the woman said.

"I'll be here." Arthur told her with an easy smile.

He watched the stairs for his old flame to appear and was not disappointed when she made her entrance in a lovely white dress and black shoes that made her looked effortlessly chic.

"Beautiful as always." he said and stood to greet her.

"Good to see you again." she said as he kissed her cheek.

"I was hoping to take you out to lunch." he offered as she looked embarrassed.

"I... um." her cheeks went pink and she didn't look at him.

"Are you still mad about what happened at the party? I'm so sorry about it. Becky and I... the divorce is final now. She terminated the pregnancy." he told her.

Ariadne looked at him with a start.

"Did you _make_ her do that?" she asked. "I know you didn't want to be a father."

"It was her idea actually. She and I both knew it was over on the drive home. We both decided to separate and get a fresh start." he said.

"So, no baby." she concluded logically.

"No." he told her.

"Are you happy about that?" she asked and averted her lovely eyes.

"Honestly? Sometimes I think we made the wrong choice. But most of the time, I know it was the best thing we could have done. She's remarried to some golden boy in California. They have a little girl and they live like hippie peace freaks. Named their daughter after a color." he told her with a laugh.

Ariadne gave him a smile.

"So, she's good." she said. "I'm glad."

"Yes, she's with someone who makes her happy. I never could, and she deserves to finally be happy." he said.

"Arthur." she said after taking a deep breath.

"Look, I didn't come here to pick up where we left off." Arthur interrupted. "I just wanted to see you. Get some closure."

"Is that all you wanted?" she asked worriedly.

"Are you seeing anyone?" he asked with a shrug.

"No." she said too quickly. "My life is different now."

"Mine is to. I've quit the company."

"That's wonderful." Ariadne said. A light coming back into her eyes as she approved of his new freedom.

"Yes, I feel like a new man." he told her.

"You look great." she admitted.

"So do you. Let me take you out to dinner." he offered.

"I've got plans tonight." she said

"Thought you said you weren't seeing anyone." Arthur questioned.

"Arthur, I never thought you would show up here. You made your intentions about the subject well known to me." she said and backed away.

"What subject?" he asked and moved forward.

Ariadne looked helpless.

"It's just... it was easier with you not knowing. I didn't want to burden you." she said.

"What are you talking about?" Arthur asked.

His skin prickled wildly like the hackles of a dog.

Deep in his heart of hearts, he knew.

~ In the day care center, they watched a little boy play by himself with building blocks. The other children were running around like wild heathens, but the child with a dark mop of hair was quite and still.

"How old is he?" Arthur asked as he watched his boy.

"Four." Ariadne told him. "He's smart to, he already knows how to read."

"Really?" Arthur breathed as he watched his son build a tower with careful precision.

"He want's to be an architect." Ariadne said with a proud smile.

"He's got talent." Arthur agreed.

They stood behind a two way mirror and watched their son like he was entrainment.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" he asked.

His voice wasn't angry or upset.

"I was already in Chicago. You were out of my life." she said sadly.

"But I needed to know. It's my child." Arthur insisted.

"For all I knew, you were still with your wife. You were expecting a baby with her." Ariadne said.

She cast her large eyes on him.

"And you told me before, you didn't want to be a father." she added.

"I didn't want to have a child with Becky." Arthur corrected.

They exchanged hard looks and then went back to watching their son.

"Does he know about me?" he asked.

"Not really." Ariadne said.

Arthur nodded.

"What's his name?" he asked.

He was surprised at how calm he was.

"Daniel." Ariadne told him.

'_Daniel._' he thought. The name ringing painfully loud in his ears.

'_Daniel. Daniel. Daniel._' he thought over and over again as he saw another boy with dark hair. Dark hair that curled and eyes that were blind since birth.

"I already have a son named Daniel." he whispered.

Ariadne looked at him as the glass keeping them from their son shimmered and exploded.


	7. Chapter 7

11.

~ A face full of broken glass hurt like hell, and Arthur woke up to Ariadne's worried voice pulling him back to reality.

"Look at me! Arthur! Look at me! You're out!" she told him as her hands on his face felt strange. The contact felt too harsh as the world around him was closing in.

Ari-?" he panted and he kicked away from her. A white line sticking out of his arm and he wasn't sure where he was just now.

"Arthur, you're alright. You're out now." she said trying to reach for him.

"What... what happened?" Arthur said taking deep, panicky gulps of air.

"Arthur, just breath and remember where you are." came a collected, soothing voice beside Ariadne.

He knew where he was right away and turned to see Cobb and Eames looking worried.

The work shop, the place he had gone under a little while ago came back to him. It was no longer day light outside, but night time. It had all been a dream. Becky, his horrible marriage to her, the affair, everything.

"It's alright. You're awake now." Cobb said.

~ It all came back to him like a flood gate opening. Memories of Cobb, Eames and most of all, Ariadne.

"We're married." Arthur said weakly as she coaxed him to eat.

"Yes." she told him.

"We have three... _four_ children." he told her.

"Yes." she confirmed.

"Darcy... Dominic, Drew and... and Daniel." he whispered.

"Not in that order, but yes." she said and smoothed out his hair.

"I was dreaming." he told her.

"We couldn't wake you up." Cobb said as he and Eames sat at the table opposite him and Ariadne.

"This happened before." Arthur remembered. "I was under and couldn't wake up. I thought I had a brain tumor."

"Yes, but there was no mistake with the compound this time. We're not sure why this happened to you." Eames offered. "We don't know why you couldn't come out of it."

Arthur shook his head.

"I was lost in there. I thought it was real." he admitted shamefully.

"What did you dream about?" Ariadne asked.

Arthur took a deep breath as the dream still held him in it's claws.

"I dreamed I was married to Becky." he said in disgust and enjoyed seeing his wife's face look surprised. "I dreamed I was married to her and having an affair with you." he told her.

"In dreams your inhibitions are lowered and you're more open to doing outrageous things." Cobb explained.

"So in your wildest dream, you're married, and you cheat on your wife... with your _wife_?" Eames concluded. "No imagination." he added.

"I dreamed Ariadne had a cat named Mr. Eames." Arthur told him. "A _nurtured_ one."

Eames face went stony as the two men glared at one another.

Arthur was quick to take out his loaded dice and examine them. The weight and balance felt real and familiar.

"Why couldn't I wake up?" Arthur grumbled.

"We're not sure." Cobb explained. "You were under for almost 16 hours."

"They called me in to try and wake you. You wouldn't respond to a normal wake up impulse like music or the kick." she told him.

Arthur shook his head.

"It felt so real. That life." he told her.

"Arthur this is real." she assured him.

~ It felt good to be back home. The kids were finally put to bed and asleep. The house was peaceful until they woke up again.

Ariadne looked at her husband coming out of the bathroom. She was sitting in bed waiting for him.

"You know, even though I was unfaithful, you have to admit it's pretty romantic. I mean, I dreamed I had an affair with you. That's pretty hot." Arthur said as he tossed out the sting of dental floss. "You think it means I love you?" he asked.

"I guess." she said and observed him for a while.

"Oh, come on." he laughed. "It certainly doesn't mean I still love Becky."

"Does it?" she questioned.

"If anything, it proves I made the right choice marrying you and not her. It proves I would have found you no matter what." he said and climbed into bed with his wife.

"I think part of you feels guilty for Becky. That maybe you feel you've wronged her and the dream manifested itself into that what if life." she told him.

Arthur let out an annoyed sigh.

"So you're going to over analyze this?" he asked. "Should I call Becky and make some sort of apology for ruining her life?"

"No, we don't owe her anything. You're raising her daughter after all." Ariadne said. "I think part of you feels guilt you became your own man and didn't stick with the original plan. You have your own life and didn't involve marrying her and working for your father."

"I'm so glad that's not my life." he said.

"Even though I was the other woman, it was pretty romantic." she agreed with a little smile. "Not that I would ever _be_ the other woman." she corrected.

"Well, I'm a much better man with you in my life."

"I agree." she said as he folded the covers over them like a tent.

Secluded from the world, Arthur took the stolen moment to lavish kisses on her. A slow, steady dance that made both their bodies grow warm and responsive as their blankets hid them.

Ariadne had to take a large breath of air as her husband started to kiss down her neck, and his large hands were working the small buttons of her night gown.

"Arthur?" she whispered.

"Yes." he growled as he tried to move her onto her back.

"Wait." she told him and pushed him away slightly.

"What is it?" he demanded impatiently. The heat was on him and he could think of little else than taking her.

"Arthur, I think, after what happened today." she took a deep breath for courage.

"What?" he prompted.

"No more dream extractions." she said. "You went under today and we couldn't get you out. We have no idea why. It's too dangerous."

He pushed the blanket off them, sat back on his heels, and looked at her.

"Ari-" he started to say.

"Arthur, I don't want to have to explain to our children why their father is in a coma. Why he won't be there for them. I could have lost you." she told him.

"You didn't. I'm right here, it's fine." he said with an exaggerated smile.

"No more dream extractions." she said with a finality that meant business.

Arthur leaned back further from her. As they kept eye contact, they knew this argument was far from over.

**~ END ~**

**I know. Odd way to end this story. This was a fan request and I had to think a long time about how I wanted to write this. In the end, Arthur is a cheater and Ariadne helped him cheat. None of those things are good and do not make them good people. **

**So, I made it a dream. This way, his subconscious loves Ariadne so much, he could never be happy with another woman. I also like the idea that Arthur has no imagination to the point that in his wildest dreams, he cheats on his wife, with his wife. **

**I know I may not get any love for the whole, Becky got an abortion, she should have had it. But in my mind, a child born to parents who hate one another suffers a lot. I'm not saying, kill babies or anything, but in a situation like this, where the parents can not be good parents, I don't think it's fair to bring a child into the mix. **

** Thanks so much for reading, I'm working on a new erotica that may have a lot of you feeling strange. I'm not sure about the response I'll be getting, but I've been reading a lot on this subject and it's very interesting. What I find most fascinating, is that men have this fantasy more than women. I'm calling it "The ties that bind" and there will be no description. It's too difficult to describe, but I hope it will be my hottest erotica yet!**


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